ypt. Now the posterity and sons of these men, after
some time, carried their bodies, and buried them at Hebron: but as
to the bones of Joseph, they carried them into the land of Canaan
afterward, when the Hebrews went out of Egypt, for so had Joseph made
them promise him upon oath. But what became of every one of these men,
and by what toils they got the possession of the land of Canaan, shall
be shown hereafter, when I have first explained upon what account it was
that they left Egypt.

CHAPTER 9. Concerning The Afflictions That Befell The Hebrews In Egypt,
During Four Hundred Years. [16]

1. Now it happened that the Egyptians grew delicate and lazy, as
to pains-taking, and gave themselves up to other pleasures, and in
particular to the love of gain. They also became very ill-affected
towards the Hebrews, as touched with envy at their prosperity; for when
they saw how the nation of the Israelites flourished, and were become
eminent already in plenty of wealth, which they had acquired by their
virtue and natural love of labor, they thought their increase was
to their own detriment. And having, in length of time, forgotten the
benefits they had received from Joseph, particularly the crown being now
come into another family, they became very abusive to the Israelites,
and contrived many ways of afflicting them; for they enjoined them to
cut a great number of channels for the river, and to build walls for
their cities and ramparts, that they might restrain the river, and
hinder its waters from stagnating, upon its running over its own banks:
they set them also to build pyramids, [17] and by all this wore them
out; and forced them to learn all sorts of mechanical arts, and to
accustom themselves to hard labor. And four hundred years did they spend
under these afflictions; for they strove one against the other which
should get the mastery, the Egyptians desiring to destroy the Israelites
by these labors, and the Israelites desiring to hold out to the end
under them.

2. While the affairs of the Hebrews were in this condition, there was
this occasion offered itself to the Egyptians, which made them more
solicitous for the extinction of our nation. One of those sacred
scribes, [18] who are very sagacious in foretelling future events truly,
told the king, that about this time there would a child be born to the
Israelites, who, if he were reared, would bring the Egyptian dominion
low, and would raise the Israelites; t